Now and then, Dawn and I start our Saturday morning routine by going to eat breakfast at a Denny’s Restaurant not too far from our temporary home. Whenever we do this, we pass by the hotel that you see in the featured picture above. I always mention to Dawn that this reminds me so much of Brno, Czech Republic. We lived there for about a year and a half during our IMB service.
I imaging that other European countries have this situation too, but in Brno many of the old apartment buildings were being retrofitted with an exterior treatment that helped insulate the building rather nicely. They would basically wrap the outside of the building in thick industrial grade foam blocks, then seal it all up and paint them different colors. I remember seeing these buildings in oranges, reds, and yellows. So, you can understand why this multicolored Marriott Residence Inn might trigger a memory or two.
Still, even after two years, I often wonder how my friends and colleagues are doing there. Through the magic of facebook, I still get to see them occasionally. While in Brno, God taught us many things… patience, hope, helplessness, perseverance, and grittiness (if that is a legitimate word). I see the faces of people who I still love and admire for their concern for the spread of the Gospel. I see smiling babies and families who stick together through good and bad times. Honestly, there are days when I can almost feel those Cile sidewalks under my feet as I make my way to the Roma Church that meets there and I pray that they are all well and blessed of the Lord.
God has been so good to me and has allowed others from many points on the earth to enrich the man that I am. I can only pray that as I passed through their neighborhoods, they may remember me as well… as a brother and a friend. Amen.
